Medical sponges and wipes with a barrier impermeable to infectious agents

Abstract

A disposable laminated medical sponge contains a thin sheet, having a top side and a bottom side, that is impermeable to infectious agents as well as nonwettable by water and a layer of absorbent material having an area that is smaller than that of the impermeable sheet, and one surface of which is secured to at least one side of the impermeable sheet. The peripheral edges of the absorbent layer are spaced inwardly from the peripheral edges of the impermeable sheet, providing a surrounding rim that consists of impermeable sheet alone. Any liquid on the layer of absorbent material cannot travel through and over the peripheral edges of the impermeable sheet to reach the opposite side of the impermeable sheet. Consequently, any infectious agents such as viruses that might be present in the body fluids cannot be transmitted from the absorbent material to the opposite side of the medical sponge that is being held by a health-care worker. An alternate embodiment shows a laminated medical sponge further containing an integral peripheral ridge surrounding the completely peripheral edges of at least one side of the impermeable sheet providing a peripheral moat of the impermeable sheet alone.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A laminated medical sponge, comprising: a thin and flexible sheet, having a top side and a bottom side, impermeable to infectious agents;   an integral peripheral ridge means on at least one side of said sheet and surrounding the entire peripheral edges of said sheet;   a first layer of absorbent material, having a top surface and a bottom surface and being of a smaller area than said sheet, one said surface of is secured on one side, the wiping side, of said sheet, and having the entire peripheral edges of said first layer spaced inwardly away from the entire said peripheral ridge of said sheet providing a surrounding moat of said sheet alone so that any liquid on said first layer of absorbent material cannot travel through said surrounding moat or wick around said peripheral ridge to reach the opposite side of said sheet adapted to be grasped by being gripped between one's fingers around the central region of said sheet; and   a second layer of absorbent material, having a top surface and a bottom surface and being of a smaller area than said sheet, one said surface of is secured on the opposite side, the grasping side, of said sheet, and having the entire peripheral edges of said second layer spaced inwardly away from the entire said peripheral edges of said sheet providing a surrounding area of said sheet alone.   
     
     
       2. The laminated medical sponge as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and said second layers of absorbent material on the top and the bottom sides of said sheet are of unequal thickness. 
     
     
       3. The laminated medical sponge as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and said second layers of absorbent material on the top and the bottom sides of said sheet are of equal thickness. 
     
     
       4. A disposable article comprising: a flexible fluid impervious sheet;   an integral peripheral ridge means located on said sheet and surrounding the entire peripheral edges of said sheet to prevent leakage or migration of fluids;   a layer of absorbent material having a surface area which is smaller than the surface area of said sheet, said layer of absorbent material being secured to one side of said sheet and spaced inwardly from said peripheral ridge means; and   a second layer of absorbent material having a surface area which is smaller than the surface area of said sheet, said second layer of material being secured and extending from a second side of said sheet and spaced inwardly from said peripheral ridge means.   
     
     
       5. A disposable article comprising: a flexible fluid impervious sheet;   an integral peripheral ridge means located on said sheet and surrounding the entire peripheral edges of said sheet to prevent leakage or migration of fluids;   a layer of absorbent material having a surface area which is smaller than the surface area of said sheet, said layer of absorbent material being secured to one side of said sheet and spaced inwardly from said peripheral ridge means; and   a second layer of material having a surface area which is smaller than the surface area of said sheet, said second layer of material being secured and extending from a second side of said sheet and spaced inwardly from said peripheral edges of said sheet.